A high-end vehicle does not need more maintenance than any other car. It needs more regular maintenance, and closer attention. Soft clear coats, wide wheels, electronics that never fully sleep: every detail suffers from guesswork.
On the Vaud Riviera, the climate adds its own constraints: humidity off Lake Geneva all year round, road salt from the first frosts, loose gravel on the roads of the Chablais and the mountain passes. Here are the five points worth watching.
1. Wash often, but wash properly
Many of the swirl marks visible on a dark clear coat come from washing rather than from the road. An automatic roller wash, a sponge dipped back into a dirty bucket, or a dry cloth wiped across a dusty panel will mark the paint for good.
- Pre-wash with foam or a jet to lift sand and grit before anything touches the paint.
- Two-bucket method: one for shampoo, one to rinse the mitt, with a grit guard at the bottom.
- pH-neutral shampoo and a microfibre mitt, never a household sponge.
- No direct sun, no warm panels: the product dries and leaves marks.
- Dry with a long-pile microfibre towel or a blower, never pressing down.
In winter, the critical area is underneath the car. Salt builds up in the wheel arches and along the sills. Rinsing the underbody regularly matters more than a perfect polish on the bonnet.
2. Protect the paint before it suffers
Protected paint cleans faster and ages better. Three families of solution, not to be confused with one another.
- Carnauba wax gives depth, but it does not stay on the car for long.
- Polymer sealants and ceramic coatings last longer, with a hydrophobic effect that limits deposits.
- Paint protection film is the only option that puts a physical barrier between stone chips and the paint.
In winter, on salted and gravelled roads, the difference shows on the bonnet, the front bumper and the sills. The areas worth covering are set out in our article on paint protection film, and the service itself on the PPF fitting page.
If the clear coat already shows holograms, protect it only after correction. A coating applied over a defect locks that defect in. That is the job of detailing and paint correction.
3. Watch the tyres and the pressures
The most neglected item, and the only one that bears directly on safety.
- Check pressures cold, before driving. A reading taken after a journey is misleading: the air warms up and the pressure rises.
- Use the values on the door pillar sticker or the fuel flap, never from memory.
- Cold weather lowers pressure: go round all four wheels at every change of season.
- Low-profile tyres cope badly with the potholes that open up after a freeze. Have the alignment checked if wear becomes uneven.
Switzerland does not set a compulsory date for fitting winter tyres. The driver does remain responsible for the condition of the vehicle and for keeping it under control in all conditions. For the rule that applies to you, and for what is required at inspection, contact the vehicle licensing office of your canton.
4. Keep to the manufacturer's service intervals
On a turbocharged engine, a dual-clutch gearbox or a particulate filter, service intervals are not a commercial precaution. They match the real service life of the fluids and filters.
- Some items age by the calendar, not the odometer: brake fluid, coolant, cabin filter, battery.
- Flexible service indicators account for driving style. Pushing the due date back is never neutral.
Short journeys are harder on a car than they look. Between Villeneuve, Montreux and Vevey, an engine does not always reach operating temperature: oil gets diluted, condensation stays in the system, the particulate filter regenerates poorly. Work a longer run into the routine now and then.
A complete service book and filed invoices also count when the time comes to sell, or when a car is taken in part exchange.
5. Cold starts, battery and storage
The first few kilometres are where an engine wears most. Drive gently until the oil is up to temperature rather than leaving the car idling: a stationary engine warms up badly. Save the high revs for later in the journey.
After a night outside by the lake, a film of surface rust forms on the discs. The first few stops bite less, so anticipate them.
On a car that is rarely used, the battery fails first. Modern electronics draw current even when parked, and a deeply discharged battery rarely recovers its full capacity. A trickle charger saves a lot of trouble.
For extended storage:
- A dry, ventilated garage rather than a damp lock-up.
- A breathable cover, never a plastic tarpaulin that traps condensation.
- A full wash and dry before covering: salt left on the bodywork works away all winter.
- A regular outing on a real journey, not a lap of the car park.
What to hand over
Washing, pressures and fluid levels are easy enough to handle yourself. Paint correction, film fitting and deep interior cleaning call for tooling and a proper workshop. Ours is in Villeneuve, a few kilometres from Montreux.
